Sunday, December 13, 2015

Our sense of smell is one of the biggest triggers to memories within ourselves. A scent can bring back memories long forgotten, and remind you of a time, a place, or a even of a person. It's why at Christmas time, it's always the smells that bring us back first and foremost. New perfumes, certain foods, or just an atmosphere that can stir nostalgia. It's part of the reason why I love buying new scents - in all forms, but my favourite is in new candles and oils, for other people, as well as myself, in the hopes of providing a tiny bit of relaxing nostalgia, or a creation of a new memory.

Which is why this past week I was thrilled to receive some gorgeous new scents from a brand spanking new NI based Luxury Hand Poured Candle Company SASS & BOHO.

Three scents so different from each other in style and notes, but with that underlying luxurious comfort that comes from something hand crafted with care.

Three scents that included:

LES ÉCURIES – Santaliff – Leather :

This was an unusual scent for me, as I tend to gravitate toward more floral or essential oils in tone, and yet I found it had a place in my home very easily. It wasn't overwhelming, and the longer the flame burned on it, the nicer it got. A smell that starts off with a strong undertone masculine spice but somehow evolves into something lighter and more floral when burning. A nice surprise and perfect for that guy in your life!

My personal favourite of the three was the MYKONOS – Rose of Saffron & Pink Pepper:
Described by Sass and Boho as " Spicy and alluring. Uplifting and has a certain optimism to it. It’s bold and zesty, but has a warmth that’s comforting. It’s the contrasts that make it exciting: feminine and floral, yet sexy and exotic" - It's a sweet and spicy smell that exudes femininity and an optimism, perfect for anyone that is drawn to more obviously floral scents, ending on the sweeter end of the smell spectrum!

The third was the larger of the three candles sent, and which now lives in my living room, as it is the perfect time of year for such a smell to be present, with the, well, presents!

With a 50 hour burn time promised this beauty is aptly named Christmas Night because it encapsulates the warmth and optimistic feel of the holiday season. With tones of warm spicy cinnamon and clove and something else I can't quite place. It's the perfect luxury gift for this time of year, or for filling your own home with the comforting smells of Christmas past, present and future that even my Santa's couldn't help but get in on the act! !

Check out SASS and BOHO over on their newly launched site HERE. For all of these and more!

Monday, December 7, 2015

As a fan of Creme Blush in general I was excited to try these Chanel Creme Blushes that I received as a gift from a friend for my 30th birthday in September (Thank you, Sherry!).

I adore Chanel's makeup line anyway, but I absolutely acknowledge that some of their products fall flat, while others (like these!) are wonderful in doing what they say they will and sticking true to their promise.

As I am a pale, blue-toned, Irish-skin-having-Irish-girl, these shades do work perfectly on my complexion, and their creme to powder formula perfect for those of us with a dry/dehydrated skin texture.

The two pinkish shades this time, a bright and blue toned baby pink experience with theAffinite (65), and a deeper raspberry toned flush with the Chamade (67)have been on my most-reached-for list since I received them, the creme to powder perfect for building as much, or as little product as you want or need. I tend to go easy on the blush, using only a flush here or there to highlight my cheek bones, and give a healthy colour to my otherwise at times Casper-esq skintone.

+CHANEL promises a "A melt-away texture with a silky feel. Vibrant, luminous shades with a satiny finish." And they don't lie with these. The coverage is barely there (easily build-able), if you apply it with a soft touch - I like to use my +realtechniques buffing brush to apply and and buff into the skin so that it leaves no harsh lines, and is completely blended into my cheeks for the most natural finish possible.

But you can, if you so desire, layer these bad boys on and look a little crazy and I for one certainly won't judge you, because hey, sometimes you just want really rosy cheeks, right?

Ok so maybe NOT like this...

But no, seriously though...

The coverage was tested on several occasions for me, and most recent being a wedding where I had to be on the go for at least 12 hours, and I needed something that as my skin is rather dry - particularly at this time of year, I needed something that wouldn't budge but continue to look *jazz hands * luminous. And as I checked my makeup several times throughout the night, my lipstick needed a few applications. My blush and base did not!

This range comes in six shades over all, and these two in particular I find could carry you though a few seasons as they are diverse enough that light applications and the overall look of the rest of your makeup could take you very easily from Autumn /Winter into Spring/Summer. And even though they were a lovely birthday present I'd be happy to pay for the rest now that I know the +CHANEL formula works with my skin and works so well!

Sunday, November 15, 2015

If like me you're always on the look out for something watch that is not only interesting and fun but fully aesthetically pleasing, then the two films on my radar this month might just appeal to you too!

From 1950's small town Ireland to New York City, all the way though to a Guy Richie filtered 1960's Europe, it has a bit of something for everyone. Including Henry Cavill, who is a bit of something for everyone, right?

Starring the always amazing Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn sees a small town Irish girl leave it all behind in search of a better life outside of small town Ireland - a common enough tale but one done with such class it's hard to ignore this one. We're taken on Eilis Lacey's ( pronounced Ay-lish, by the by) journey - from her pain and fear at leaving behind the only life she's known in a small town, leaving behind her Irish Mammy (they are special kind of mother, any Irish person will tell you!) and her only sister, to her first sail on a boat woes (don't eat the stew!), all the way to her first steps through the brownstone lined streets of beautiful 1950's Brooklyn.

We see her tackle homesickness, a boarding house (run by Mrs Kehoe the one and only Julie Walters, she's hilarious as their keeper in morality as well as housing) and American retail! The setting of this film has an air of nostalgic romantic, even in the way it is lit right though to the colour scheme of the clothing worn throughout.

We are meant to fall in love with these people as Eilis does, we're meant to fall in love with this place as she does, so that when it comes time to make the decision - as the film's tag line asks us to do with the rather interesting concept of home. "Home is Home" one of her leading men remind her, and it's a story of finding out just what that is, what is home? Or in some cases, who? She must choose between her charming and adorable Brooklyn beau in the form of Emory Cohen who makes her homesickness for Ireland fade little my little, though it may be his little brother who steals the show with some of the best lines! Or when she crosses the pond, and meets the very understated and shy but well to do (and thus in small town Ireland a 'real catch for someone' as her Mam reminds her) Jim Farrell played by Domhnall Gleeson.

She has a tough time of it does our Eilis, but she portrays a strong willed, smart woman in a time where that was particularly frown upon in certain places (cough, small town Ireland for example,) while she struggles to be sensible and stay behind and do her duty as a daughter, she also realises she has a duty to herself first, and that's what makes it such a fun watch. Seeing her evolve within the story, both as she gains more self awareness, her whole self changes too, from her hair and makeup, her clothing, to her bravery and self-confidence. And she does in the end, find her home, in a place, with a person, within herself, and it's done beautifully. A fantastic supporting cast made up of greats like Jim Broadbent, Fiona Glascott and the utterly hilarious Jenn Murray only serve to raise this already great film to a different level! Plus, you can take your mum, trust me, she'll love it too!

Brooklyn retailing - even in the 50's it was a far throw from Enniscorthy!

Boarding House dinners - no secret is safe! Nor a hairpin, apparently.

Irish boys who wear suits to the beach. Ah the 50's

Coney Island. calls for specs appeal!

Brooklyn is in select cinemas now!

*****

Next up and in an entirely different lane, but as equally as stylistically pleasing, we have the Guy Richie co-written and directed - The Man from UNCLE. A sleek and sharp spy drama-dy with an unlikely trio thrown together in post WWII - mid-Cold War Europe starring Henry Cavill (Your Tudors Bae, and also Superman, everyone knows him, right?), Alicia Vikander (Style crush since 2011, LOVE her) and Armie Hammer (the very tall, very handsome blonde one - or that guy from the Facebook movie that played twins, however you know him). If you've ever wanted to see a film where a five foot woman basically rugby tackles a six foot five man to the ground and wins, this is the film for you!

A CIA agent, a KGB agent and a Chop Shop girl are teamed together to stop the Nazis, as you do. Cavill's Agent Solo is the smooth talking, tailored suit wearing charmer to the KGB Soviet machine (though he proves he is in fact just a very large, very misunderstood fluffy sweetheart who can kill you, of course,) that is Illya Kuryakin on opposite sides of the pond and the political struggle, they are teamed together because of a Gaby Teller (played by Vikander) the daughter of a missing German scientist who may just be helping the Nazis build a great big bomb. Since no one wants anything exploding, the KGB and the CIA team up - though the two men aren't exactly thrilled about that prospect - nor is Gaby for she is to be brilliantly (and as trope-y as it is, I love it) 'fake engaged' to the giant Russian who had just hours before, chased her and Agent Solo through the streets of Berlin.

But oh they do it so well!

This film has it all in terms of style - from the sets to the cities showcased, and in particular (for me anyway) in the amazing costumes Gaby Teller in particular gets to wear - the sixties vibe of strong and confident sex appeal there in spades, but allowing her to be functional as well as beautiful. This film provides serious inspiration for those of us in love with the sixties aesthetic but looking to modernise it slightly. From the sleeveless, bold printed dresses teamed with big hats and bigger shades, the chunky earrings and the can-kick-your-arse look on her face we know she's there to do a job and we're aware of that, as she is, which means thankfully not running around in too-high-heels like an idiot in order to project the look. This also leads to a running visual joke of the incredible height difference between Gaby and her apparent fiancé, which in turn also leads to a would-be romance that is handled so sweetly it makes you yearn for a sequel, just to see if the unlikely pair actually ever DO get any further than this film allowed.

It's what James Bond would be if he had a sense of humour!

One of my favourite scenes brilliantly done by the fake betrothed. Don't turn this girl down when she asks you to dance!

Fantastic villains, hilarious innuendo, and a testing team building mission done so smoothly are left wanting more from these three misfits. I do hope there is a sequel, but it looks unlikely, sadly. A mistake I think in marketing it alongside films like Straight outta Compton meant that many, including myself, missed this little gem the first time around and only managed to catch it due to word of mouth (thanks, tumblr!) and the digital / DVD release.

So, if like me, you missed out, do yourself a favor and give this a go. It's what James Bond would be if he had a sense of humour!

Thursday, November 5, 2015

An exciting fashion event celebrating the best of local Northern Ireland fashion including fashion from Northern Ireland’s leading local cancer charity Action Cancer! Taking place on Thursday 12th November 2015 being supported by and held in the dramatic location of The Crumlin Gaol, with Sarah Travers and Joseph Carlin hosting the event. +Action Cancer Hospital

Showcasing both established and emerging talent this is a must see for all fashion fans. Bringing together high fashion and the pre-loved fashion collection that is available in Action Cancer stores across the country.

“Action Cancer retail is changing the face of charity retail across Northern Ireland and we are delighted to be showcasing the pre-loved collection alongside such an amazing talent pool of Northern Ireland designers, including an exclusive display of up-cycled fashion looks from our stores that have been created by the very talented Lewis Cameron and Jamie Russell,” says Katherine Young, Retail Development Officer for Action Cancer, “this is a very exciting night for Action Cancer retail and will raise funds to support our cancer prevention, detection and support services across Northern Ireland as well as increasing awareness of the pre-loved collection and sustainable fashion, make sure you get your tickets!”

Local creative director Cindy McKendry has been involved from the start gathering an amazing talent pool form the Northern Ireland fashion scene, who have all dedicated their time and skills towards this event including designers Shauna Fay, Grainne Maher, Melanie Bond, Honeysuckle and Pepperdillo, Mohawk, Marie-Claire Millenary, Joe Carlin, Lewis Cameron and Jamie Russell, as well as the super talented team from Staffords Hairdressing in Belfast and local MUAs Rebecca Bryson, Julia Clements, Leanne Godfrey and Rosie Pritchard.

Guests will arrive to a drinks and macaroons reception being supplied by Eva Paris NI. A light supper will also be served during the interval.

Exclusive goody bag for all guests including gifts supplied by Coco Mojo, Passion Preserved and House of Thara.

Tickets are priced at £25 and are available from the Action Cancer website, www.actioncancer.org and from your local Action Cancer store. Cancer is, sadly, something that every family in NI can say has touched their circles in one way or another, and amazing charities that do so much locally deserve all the support they can get! So why not do just that, support an amazing local cause and have a fantastical fashionable night out all in one go!

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Origins asks (like the rest of your body) is your SKIN also having a quarter life crisis? Oh God, is it?? Is this something else we need to be panicking about? Hm. If so, this might be the product you seek!

As a long-time fan of +Origins this was introduced to me during the +Debenhams #DebsFoylesideBeauty blogger evening back in August, in sample form of course, with just the tiniest amount proving invaluable to my skincare routine within days.

I was quick to go back and buy the full size of this beauty in a 30ml size. It's been a staple in my makeup-bag since!

This little beauty has taken me from country to country, county to county, by bus, train and across the pond and back by (extremely dry and icktastic) plane! I usually break out like crazy as soon as those plane doors shut, so I was not looking forward to a 7hour + long flight there and back - I figured the results would be horrendous by the time I landed.

But guess what?

It was amazing.

Not a breakout in sight, no patchiness, no dry tightness, not a blemish nor a cyst (cyst acne is it's own special hell, any sufferers out there will agree with me!) appeared either.

Miracles?

Small ones at least!

It's light-weight and works wonderfully as a base for your foundation, with or without moisturiser! It is as they say, for those of us 'transitioning from their twenties to their thirties' so it's perfect for me in the first few weeks of my new decade. +Origins also say that this little pink bottle of perfection is a 'super-serum that helps the skin look fresher, brighter, and smoother while it minimizes the appearance of imperfections. Formulated with Canadian willowherb, Persian silk tree, and a potent blend of actives to support smooth, refined pores and boost skin’s overall quality, it features a blend of optics that help soften and blur the appearance of pores and imperfections, leaving skin looking healthy and glowing.' I have to say after trailing this for the past 3 months, I agree. Agreeable to my sensitive skin too I was just thrilled to find a serum that didn't leave my skin feeling greasy or tight as they can run at either end of the spec from time to time when they dry, this was soft and supple and left my skin feeling the same way.

God bless Canadian willowherb??

When this runs out, or maybe even before I'll be sure to restock and maybe add in their 'Retexturisng Mask with Rose clay' as I'm curious to see how that stands up next to it's sister serum.

The Original Skin Serum retails for $39 or £32 depending on where you are!

Saturday, October 10, 2015

It's been a month since I set off for my first trip to New York - to meet up with friends across the pond. I was anxious of course, flying such a long way alone, a strange city, all that jazz. But, I was also so excited because I love to travel full stop and this was part of a bucket list of places for me, personally, that I wanted to touch base on 'in my 20s'. I was cutting it fine, I turned 30 (that's me sobbing in the distance!) on the 28th of last month, and I won't lie, it's been an adjustment!

But New York City, oh my GOD. I mean, it's iconic for a reason, it's steeped in our culture - countless films, songs, stories all hail from here, about here, because of here. So going there and ticking it off my imaginary bucket list was a fun time for me.

Not too shabby though not for the claustrophobic at times!

No filter needed #FreedomTower

The site of the Twin Towers was beautiful but extremely eerie.

Humidity on the water 1. Me 0.

NYC in the palm of my hand, you could say, or at least between my fingers!

Tipsy @ Top of the Rock!

The amazing views is what gets you, I mean a city is a city, is a city, but THIS isn't an ordinary city.

As I said before, she's iconic for a reason, and it hits you in the heart from the get go.

I got very attached to my floppy hat!

I fell in love basically. The cheesy tees are right I do heart NY!

Living in Brooklyn, mastering the subway lines, alone (!!!) meeting the people, and seeing the 'real' parts of a city on a trip like this is what made it special. I could have easily just stuck with the big buses of tourists, and tourist trails of shiny NYC to find my way around and what have you - which is fine, but I needed something real. It was a personal test along side a much needed holiday, if I'm being totally honest. And I think I came out the other side a braver person for it.

My friend and her friends, all in one way or another proper locals if you will, intended to make sure I saw my fair share of 'touristy bits' (because hey I've never met a gift shop I didn't love!) but that the other neighbourhoods beyond just the city itself interested me too - Like Dumbo, which I instantly fell in love with due to the architecture porn around every corner! We hit up Bushwick and I stayed in Crown Heights, loved the hilariously over-priced but very pretty Prospect Park. Brooklyn Heights to views of the East River, and all the other parks in between - Battery Park is beautiful and something you experience a little of as you board the ferry to Liberty Island and Ellis Island, as well as the big momma of them all - Central Park.

From the Village to Chelsea, to Governors Island (which I highly rec for a relaxing day on the hammocks - brings snacks!) to Liberty Island, to Manhattan, and back again. I covered a lot of ground in 8 days, and my legs and knees (the joys of zero cartilage, lemme tell you!) My spirit guide Sarah was thankfully there to guide me through the trickier parts of things, intro me to American sized food portions (oh,my,god?) and teach me that, yes, I can master the subway system at night. That day drinking is acceptable, people love tattoos and this is a city that gets my sarcasm, and also has a real weird love for Irish people.

@CentralPark you beaut <3 I fell in love, even if my legs want to kill me!

+Times Square is an assault on the senses, in the cheesiest touristy way ever.

All in all like any trip it had it's up and it's downs, but thankfully so many more ups! I met some fantastically creative and positive people, made new friends and caught up with old ones ( PS: a blog post on my first +Reiki Healing session coming soon!). I experienced a city I've always wanted to see. I can't wait to go back, as with somewhere this innovative and ever changing, there is still a ton for me to do and see, and to check off my little bucket list.

So, until next time, NYC in my 20s was a blast. Let's see how she treats me in my 30s! :D